Springboks skipper Siya Kolisi was starstruck when he met World Number 1 tennis player Carlos Alcaraz in Torino on Saturday.
Alcaraz was coming off the back of an ATP Finals final four victory over Felix Auger Aliassime, but he eventually lost to home favourite Jannik Sinner in Sunday’s final.
Kolisi was in Italy after the Springboks ground out a tough win against Italy.
Kolisi giggles with excitement after meeting Alcaraz
Siya Kolisi was beaming from ear to ear after Carlos Alcaraz singled the Springbok skipper out so the pair could meet. Kolisi’s reaction was completely valid as he looked on the verge of fainting.
Springboks prepare for final epic test of 2025
Franco Mostert was given a controversial red card, the second successive match in which a Springbok lock has been dismissed. Rassie Erasmus and his team will now start preparations for their match with Ireland, a clash which brings the curtain down on their 2025 season. Ireland and South Africa meet at the Aviva Stadium in Dublin on Saturday, 22 November. Kickoff is at 19:40.
Sinner wins ATP Finals, but Alcaraz keeps top spot in the world
Jannik Sinner and Carlos Alcaraz are head and shoulders above every other tennis player on the planet right now. 22-year-old Spaniard will finish the calendar year as the World Number 1, despite Sinner winning the ATP Finals in Italy. The world’s top two shared this season’s four major titles; Alcaraz won Roland Garros and the US Open, defeating Sinner in both finals. Sinner beat Alex Zverev in the Australian Open final and Alcaraz in the Wimbledon final.
Alcaraz collected eight singles titles in total, which also included ATP Masters 1000 titles in Monte Carlo, Rome and Cincinnati, and ATP 500s in Rotterdam, London (Queens) and Rome.
Read more articles from James Freemantle.